Rate My Professor Jennifer Archer

Jennifer Archer is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Newcastle's Faculty of Education and Arts. She earned her Bachelor of Education from James Cook University, Master of Education from the University of Queensland, and PhD in educational psychology from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Her doctoral research centered on motivational theory, specifically achievement goals, during a time when key constructs in the field were being developed by scholars such as Carole Ames, Martin Maehr, Carol Dweck, and John Nicholls. Archer teaches educational psychology to preservice teachers, addressing developmental changes, individual differences including motivation and SES, and cognitive theories of learning. She supervises around ten PhD students as principal or co-supervisor, with theses spanning topics like English language teaching in Asia, science interest, vocational education, and SES influences on high school students.

Archer's research focuses on cognitively-based approaches to student motivation, including achievement goals, attributions, expectancy-value, self-efficacy, interest, and self-concept, often examined through the lens of socio-economic status. In collaboration with Nathan Berger, her work explores SES differences in achievement goals, their intensity, and connections to academic achievement. Notable publications include the book chapter "THE DISTINCTIONS SEPARATING THE SOCIAL CLASSES: An Examination of Noncognitive Variables in Educational Contexts" (2020), the journal article "Effects of Raising Student Teachers' Metacognitive Awareness of Their Educational Psychological Misconceptions" (2021), and "Charting career aspirations: a latent class mixture model of aspiration trajectories in childhood and adolescence" (2020). She has contributed extensively to conference proceedings and serves on the Editorial Board of the Australian Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology since 2010. Archer received the 2014 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Supervision Excellence from the Faculty of Education and Arts, accompanied by a $1,000 grant. Her career includes significant administrative leadership: Dean of Students for four years, Assistant Dean (Teaching and Learning) for six years, and currently Director of the Student Experience in the Faculty of Education and Arts.